Overview & Reviews

Chrysler is generally considered part of the Big Three, a title that refers to the traditional triumvirate of domestic automakers. The current accuracy of this classification is open for debate, but there's no debating the fact that Chrysler has experienced a revival of sorts over the past few years.

Chrysler Corporation was founded in 1925 by Walter P. Chrysler, a noted machinist; he'd purchased the Maxwell Motor Corporation of Detroit and used it as the foundation for his new company. The automaker quickly earned a reputation for advanced engineering. In 1928, Chrysler Corporation expanded with the purchase of Dodge and the creation of the DeSoto and Plymouth divisions.

The 1930s saw Chrysler boldly looking toward the future with the introduction of its revolutionary Airflow. Powered by a front-mounted inline-8, the car was one of the first to be designed with aerodynamics in mind, and featured swooping lines and a prominent grille. Perhaps a bit too ahead of its time, the Airflow was a flop with the public. Chrysler was able to survive the lean years of the Depression thanks to strong sales of its entry-level Dodge and Plymouth brands, whose vehicles boasted more traditional designs and much lower price tags.

Chrysler shined postwar. For a period in the late 1940s, it even surpassed Ford as the No. 2 U.S. automaker. The company's storied "Hemi" V8 engine debuted in 1951. Offering 180 horsepower, it was a significant improvement over Chrysler's previous 135-hp V8. The Hemi engine was meant to trounce the V8 offered by Cadillac, Chrysler's rival, and it kick-started Detroit's horsepower race of the 1950s and '60s. The '50s also saw the debut of treasured Chrysler classics like the handsome Town and Country and the sleek 300C.

By 1961, Chrysler had trimmed its line of brands by dropping the DeSoto nameplate. New technologies were also afoot, such as unibody construction (Chrysler was the first of the Big Three to introduce it) and the replacement of generators with alternators for a car's charging system. In the latter half of the '60s, Chrysler was heavily involved with NASCAR and producing performance-oriented cars.

At the same time, however, dark clouds were gathering. As with other domestic automakers, the 1970s proved to be a difficult decade due to the oil crisis, new government regulations and changing consumer tastes. A costly and ineffective overseas expansion further hurt the company's bottom line. By the late '70s, the company was in such financial disarray that it petitioned the government for $1.5 billion in loan guarantees to save it from bankruptcy.

Thanks to impressive public campaigning by then-chairman Lee Iacocca, the debut of the well-received K-car platform and the creation of the modern minivan, sales had improved dramatically by the mid-'80s. The government's loan was paid off seven years early. The picture further brightened in the late 1980s with Chrysler's purchase of American Motors Corporation (which netted the company the Jeep brand) and a joint venture with Mitsubishi known as Diamond Star Motors.

Success continued through the early 1990s. In 1998, German-based Daimler-Benz merged with Chrysler to form DaimlerChrysler. At the time, this deal was presented as a merger of equals. But it quickly became apparent that it was more of a purchase, with Daimler being the dominant partner.

Less than a decade later, that merger was no longer, as Daimler sold Chrysler (and Dodge) to a private equity firm in 2007. However, that merger had borne some worthwhile fruit, most notably in the form of the Chrysler 300 full-size sedan. The latter shared some chassis components with an older Mercedes-Benz E-Class platform.

As such, the 300 was a highlight for Chrysler that had a pleasingly solid feel to its driving dynamics that was further sweetened via an available powerful V8 engine. But soon after the split, America's economy slid into recession. Due to poor sales and debt, Chrysler had to declare bankruptcy and the federal government intervened with bailout loans. Eventually Chrysler came under control of Italy's Fiat.

Today, the lineup has been pared down to a pair of sedans, a convertible and a minivan. However, after years of having lackluster entries in the very important midsize car category, Chrysler made major improvements in the performance, design and quality of its midsize sedan entry, the 200. The latest 300 also stands as a prime choice for a premium full-size sedan. Still, it remains to be seen as to whether this and future product releases will be enough to restore the company to its former glory.

User Reviews:

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  Excellent SUV Alternative That Tows - 2006 Chrysler Pacifica
  By E & S - March 21 - 6:18 pm

  Excellent Styling. Come on guys it gets very decent gas mileage for a 4400 plus vehicle. Great to show up at a wedding with, or tow your boat to the local ramp. Plenty of power with 250 H.P., however you some what feel the weight of this beautiful beast on a steep incline. I feel the designers of this vehicle did not market this vehicle right from beginning to end, if they did they would consider future production of the Pacifica with improvements. Shame on you marketing team.

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  Very Happy So Far - 2007 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Bobby G - March 21 - 6:04 pm

  The vehicle is perfect for family getaways. Loads of room for everyone and everything! Gas mileage is great on highway and there is plenty of horses for passing.

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  Bad car - 1996 Chrysler Sebring
  By teresa - March 21 - 2:15 pm

  I bought this brand new put over 115,000 miles on it in 6 yrs before the engine caught fire. Not to mention right after warranty expired the AC froze up and tore up the serpentine belt rendering us helpless on Interstate in Arkansas..the LED readout for mileage went out in year 2 and the convertible leaked horribly from year 4.

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  Excellent - 2005 Chrysler Crossfire
  By Daisy - March 20 - 7:28 pm

  This is a great riding car, I have driven 280 miles since I purchased the car five day ago, and I still have 1/2 tank of gas.

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  starting to leak!! - 2008 Chrysler Sebring
  By Nancy B. - March 20 - 3:52 pm

  I have had my sebring for less then a week and it is already starting to leak around the "convertible" parts to the back windows. The dealership is going to look into this. Other then that I love the car!

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  never buy another one - 2007 Chrysler 300
  By marty - March 20 - 2:05 pm

  the gas mileage needs to be better then 14/21 with the v6 -- to much wind noise

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  Upset!!!! - 1999 Chrysler Concorde
  By pissed - March 20 - 12:08 am

  i had bought this 1999 chrysler concorde 3.2 a lil over a year ago, and i brought it to someone to look at and everything came back good so i bought it. About 3 months after i bought the car i had put over way to much in to it! i had to put a new battery, timing belt, water pump, head gasket, head cylinder, new engine. Then i have problems with the lights in the car, pass window motor went out, driver window went off track more then once, trunk wont stay open had it fixed 3 times, the gas millage is sooooo bad! Then only good thing about the car is it is roomy and the body looks nice.

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  Hunk Of Junk - 2006 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Angry 1 - March 19 - 1:01 pm

  I bought this car, loaded and thought I would be so happy with it. Little did I know a week after I bought it, it would end up in the shop for a week and a half. A month after that it was in the shop for 4 days for the same exact problem, something with the rocker arms, and problems with the ABS. The car has been nothing but problems and wish I never bought it. Beautiful inside and out but built with tape and glue. Do yourself a favor and dont even consider the car. I was told it was not safe to drive at all. The dealership and Chrysler were no help at all, telling me I was on my own as there was nothing they could tell me and I had not purchased the extended warranty.

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  What a minivan!!!! - 2017 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Tony T - March 19 - 5:53 am

  I currently own a 2008 Sienna XLE and always loved it. I just returned from a 6-day family trip. We rented a Pacifica and drove it (I think it was a Touring-L model) for about 600 miles. I got to say Chrysler did a very good job on this van. The ride was very comfortable and so is the drivers seat. The handling felt like a sedan rather than a minivan. The UConnect system was very easy to use. I figured it out in minutes after getting the minivan. The interior was very quiet. After we came back from the trip and drove our Sienna home from the airport, my wife immediately complained about the road noise in the Sienna. Overall, I really enjoyed driving the Pacifica. I would only consider buying and Odyssey or Sienna before, but this van will definitely be on my shopping list when I am ready to buy a new minivan. Anyone is in the market for a minivan should at least take a test drive in the Pacifica.

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  best mileage in a long time - 2007 Chrysler Pacifica
  By prof - March 19 - 12:02 am

  I have really enjoyed this vehicle. The 4 liter engine and six-speed automatic make it absolute fun to drive. I get about 16.7 mpg around town and 27.8 on the highway with A/C on and running at 70 mph. The only vehicle I have owned that bettered it was a 79 VW Rabbit Diesel. (Except for that Ive always driven large vehicles). My special-ordered vehicle has HID lights which I love and backup camera with nav system which is also very nice. No moon roof which I hate. Mine also has dual exhausts. The brake response is the best Ive had in many years. Likewise the steering. Throttle easily permits light, smooth getaways. Good drivers position. I also like the power liftgate.